Top excuses revealed as 90% of drivers speed in ‘inappropriate’ 20mph zones

OFFICIAL figures from the Department of Transport (DfT) show the alarming extent to which British drivers speed.

The study, carried out in 2021, looked at residential areas limited to 20 and 30mph and also revealed the most popular excuses from those caught.

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Some 87% of Britain’s car drivers routinely break the speed limit in 20mph residential areas, according to the latest figures from the DfT.

The new statistics show 51% of drivers still go over the 30mph limit too.

Despite speeding falling from a spike of 63% during the first lockdown, the return to pre-pandemic levels of traffic looks to have had no long-term impact on driver behaviour.

The data also reveals that 48% of motorists broke the speed limit on motorways.

Respondents who admitted to speeding gave the top excuse as: ‘I drive according to the speed of other road users’.

On 20mph roads, users most often cited the speed limit as being ‘inappropriate’.

Other popular reasons given for breaking the speed limit were: ‘It’s sometimes safer to go faster’, ‘pressure from other drivers’ and ‘I don’t look at the speedometer enough’.

Motorists can face a fine of £100 and three penalty points on their licence if they break the speed limit.

This can increase to six points and a fine of up to £1,000 if they’re doing more than 41mph in a 30mph zone.

Greg Wilson, the founder of car insurance comparison platform Quotezone.co.uk, said: “It’s staggering to realise that half of all motorists are still breaking the speed limit in residential 30mph zones and there is no encouraging longer-term downward trend.

“Residential areas are one of the areas drivers should be most cautious, given the high volume of pedestrians and children playing so it’s worrying that this is still an issue. 

“While many drivers might think it’s a minor fault breaking the speed limit by a small margin, the law takes a different view.

“There’s no ‘look the other way’ if motorists go over a speed limit by less than 10% – that’s a myth.”